


Pick Up Artist

by orphan_account



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Angst, Belonging, Cheating, Family, Fluff, Love, Lust, M/M, Open Relationships, Secrets, Sexual Identity, Smutt, Temptation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-24 16:38:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7515442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron can't understand why Robert still refuses to go with him to a gay night club so resolves to go alone. But what will he do when he meets someone attractive who wants to take their acquaintance further? Will his loyalty to Robert be tested?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“So there’s a group going to Bar West. We can join them. Should be a laugh. It’s good this time of year, they have a garden so it’ll mostly be outside.”

Aaron breathed out with relief having got the invitation out there, having rehearsed a hundred times that afternoon. He watched Robert’s face, the slight incline of his head, then his gaze shifting across the valley to where swallows or swifts, Aaron never could tell the difference in spite of Paddy explaining it over and over, were wheeling in a flawless blue summer sky

“I don’t want to go.” Robert curled one side of his mouth deliciously so that Aaron wanted to kiss him.

Instead he pulled back his chin.

“Why?” He asked lightly, trying not to let his disappointment show.

“I just don’t. I’m not...I’m not interested in going there. You can go if you want.”

Robert put his hands in his suit trouser pockets.

They were standing outside in the scrapyard.  Robert had just come back from a meeting, wearing a suit in spite of the heat. Aaron wanted to take off his jacket, undo his shirt, and press him up against the portacabin wall.

Now he frowned, peeling off his yellow gloves and removing his helmet. His hairline was wet with sweat from working in the warm summer sun.

“So what are you saying? You’re happy for me to go to a gay bar on my own, but not with you?”

“Well it’s not a pick up joint, is it?”

“Don’t know, mate. Where did you go when you picked up all those one night stands that you used to tell me about? Or rephrase that, that you’ve never told me about.”

Robert moved his mouth close to Aaron’s ear, speaking quietly.

“Maybe they picked me up.”

Aaron turned down the corners of his mouth, trying to look unimpressed. As if he didn’t sometimes still get that feeling, that feeling from way back to the beginning when Robert was lording it about, driving round in his Audi, telling him “Don’t even look at me.” It was just that sense that he was punching above his weight. Stupid, he knew he deserved way better than Robert Sugden, but there it was. He started to walk away.

“Fine! I’ll go on my own then!”

“Fine!”

Robert had a memory, like a movie in his head.  Aaron, early morning, dressed in a black hoodie and black jeans, climbing out of a taxi, arriving home to the Woolpack. Robert knew exactly where he’d been. What he’d been up to.

He walked back to his car, and got in. Starting the engine up, he drove out of the scrap yard gates.

 

When Aaron got back from work, Robert came to greet him in the quiet space at the bottom of the stairs.

“So you’re here, are you?” Aaron asked.

They could hear Liv and his Mum above the noise of the telly, arguing in the kitchen as Robert, without answering, moved close. He could smell and feel the damp sweat on Robert’s shirt as he reached and held onto his arm, curling his fingers around the material. They kissed slowly, no one to see them, just listening to each other’s breathing.

Robert’s hands moved slowly over his back, deliberately down to his waist, till Aaron, wanting them to move further, not able to stand it any longer, tilted his head to the stairs.

  

“You are coming, then, aren’t you? To Bar West?”

Aaron walked through from the shower drying his hair with a towel, another one around his waist, looking at Robert still lying on his back, the sheet pulled up over his hips, an arm behind his neck against the pillow while he held the remote, zapping channels with the sound on low.

He still found himself doing a double take, Robert in his bed, as if it was something easy rather than something won in a war. He watched the late afternoon sun play on Robert’s skin, on the white concave scar on his chest from the bullet wound.

 “Why do you keep going on about it?”

Robert got up so that Aaron was distracted by his pale thighs, thinking how gloriously solid they’d felt under his hands just a short while ago.

“Because I thought you’d want to go with me. Maybe you’d changed your mind.”

“Well you thought wrong.’ Robert was pulling on his trousers.

“Is this to do wıth being out then? “ Aaron spread his hands. They still hadn’t really talked about it beyond Robert saying it didn’t matter that one time.

‘I just don’t want to go to a gay bar, that’s all.’

Aaron looked confused.

‘Why?’

‘I didn’t like it before. I don’t like it now. Nothing’s changed.’ Robert finished dressing and picked up his wallet and keys from the chest of drawers.

‘So go if you’re going. I’ll catch up with you tomorrow.’

After Robert left Aaron sat down.

Hadn’t everything changed though? He thought.

 

“My brother looks dead good, doesn’t he?” Liv said later. Aaron tried not to blush when Robert, walking into the backroom, keys in hand. looked at him, his eyes sweeping up and down.

“So you are coming!”

“No. I just came to see if Liv wanted to come and get some fish and chips from Hotten. I thought you’d have left by now.”

Aaron frowned.

“Suit yourself then.”

Liv stood up.

“We won’t be long, will we? I promised I’d meet up with Gabby. She’s all over the place at the moment.”

They left together, spilling out into the car park. The evening was warm and balmy.

 Robert smelt perfume on Aaron.

“Have Fun!” Liv called after him as he got in the taxi. Robert inspected a scratch on the paintwork of his car.

The chippie unfolded metal chairs for them on the pavement and they ate from a newspaper with wooden forks and the smell of malt vinegar.

‘So why didn’t you go then?’ Liv asked. ‘Let’s hope he doesn’t get drunk and get picked up, eh?’

‘Or pick someone up himself, eh?’ Robert replied with a frown.

‘Well he’s hardly likely to do that when he’s got you.’

Robert laughed at her vote of confidence.

 

 It was a long time since Aaron had been to Bar West on a Friday night. A quick glance around the the space told him who was there to have an evening out with friends, who was there to dance, who was cruising.

He greeted his mates who he hadn’t seen for a long while. Someone got in the first round and they sat down together. They’d put colored lights in the garden and the music spilled outside. Aaron glanced up to see a couple kissing and looked away hastily, instead taking a long swig of his beer, thinking of Robert with a frown.

‘My round.’ He announced and threaded his way through the crowd to the bar. He could feel eyes on his body. It wasn’t an unwelcome feeling. Somebody put a hand on his shoulder to pass by him and when he looked they smiled. The feeling lingered longer than it should.

As he waited at the bar he found himself looking over the crowd, noticing, admiring in spite of himself. He gave his eyes free rein. After all, he told himself, he was only looking.

A bloke approached the bar where he was still waiting. He stood too close so that his shoulders pressed against Aaron’s. He didn’t move away.

 ‘Have I seen you here before?’

‘It’s been a while.’

The bloke nodded.

 ‘Seen anything you like?’

Aaron turned.

‘Maybe. Not sure, yet.. How about you?’

‘I’m looking at it.’

Aaron blushed.

‘Let me buy you a drink?’


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Aaron spends the evening at Bar West, Robert has a chat with Vic. In the morning Aaron sends a text asking Robert to join him in his bedroom at the Woolpack and Robert goes over to spend quality time with his boyfriend.

 

‘So, can we go somewhere else?’

‘Er sorry. I don’t want to give the wrong idea here, mate, I have a boyfriend.’

‘Yeah? Well I’m sure you do. Someone like you is hardly likely to be single, but, on the other hand, where is he, if you don’t mind me asking?’

 

Robert put the key in the front door at Vic’s, only to discover it unlocked. He walked in, hands in pockets, to find his sister on the sofa with her feet tucked under her, a copy of Streetfood News on her lap, and a cheese and piccalilli sandwich on the coffee table in front of her.

‘It’s you, is it?’ She looked behind him. ‘Sacked off Aaron, did you?’

‘Where’s Adam?’ Robert asked, sitting heavily in the armchair.

‘Oh, he had to go up to Moira’s. Something going off there as always. I think it’s about Holly, but I suppose they’ll get round to telling me at some point, when it suits them.’

She glanced at Robert’s face.

‘So where is the love of your life, then?’

Robert tilted his head and put his hands on the arm of the chair to push himself up again.

‘Out clubbing.’

He stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

Victoria raised her eyebrows.

‘Without you?’

‘I don’t own him, do I?’

 ‘That’s very modern of you.’ She called after him. ‘Why didn’t you go with him?’

‘He went to a gay bar.’

Victoria frowned.

‘Er...sorry?’

Robert put his face round the kitchen door.

‘Just leave it, Vic!’

 

 ‘He... he’s busy. He had some work.’ 

Aaron closed his eyes, hearing himself lie, feeling a sudden twinge of anger against Robert for putting him in this position to begin with. Why the hell wasn’t he there with him? Glancing round, the club was full of couples, sitting, dancing, snogging.

‘Well he’s not here and you are, so what should I make of that? Either he’s an idiot or he doesn’t know you’re here.’

The music in the club suddenly ratcheted up a volume. Aaron spoke louder to be heard.

‘He knows I’m here!’

‘So you're both cool with it. That works for me. I’m not looking for a commitment either. My name's Jason by the way. Can we dance?’

‘Er... no! Really, no...!’ Aaron found himself blushing.

‘What? I’m not your type? Do I need to work out more?’ He rolled up his sleeve to show a well formed bicep with a grin. Aaron snorted and picked up his drink, turning to leave.

‘Your eyes are amazing.’

‘See you around.’ Aaron shook his head.

 ‘I’ll just have to put you on my To Do list!’

Aaron made his way back towards the table outside where his old mates were sitting. As he got to the door leading to the garden, he risked looking back. The bloke was still sitting at the bar and looking straight at him. He winked and Aaron quickly turned away again. There was no denying the guy was good looking, slightly taller than Aaron, athletic very nice shapely body, maybe a bit over thirty, warm flirty brown eyes. Aaron could feel the heat in his groin, for a fleeting second he had an image of kissing him, undressing him, before frowning, he pushed it away and went to join his friends.

 

Saturday mornings Robert always had to fight that feeling. A knot in his stomach that rose up to his chest. Something like being an extra, being non essential to anyone, anywhere. He lay in bed in Vic’s spare room, listening to her and Adam giggling and shushing each other and doors closing and the shower water running. He thought about walking in on Adam again, just to give him something to complain to Aaron about, but he wasn’t sure if Vic was actually in there with him.

Chas always had chores for Aaron on a Saturday morning, and it was a big day at the pub, setting up for the Saturday rush. Chas would frown at him.

‘Oh you’re here are you?’ Letting him know he just got in the way, really.

‘I’m trying to be helpful.’ He’d hover behind Aaron, who’d roll his eyes.

‘Well you're not, so just do one.’ He’d answer. Then regret it. ‘Let’s meet later for lunch, eh? When everything’s settled down.’

After a couple of Saturdays like that, Robert had got the hint.

At Home Farm, with Chrissie, it had been different. It had been easier. Chrissie had an agenda for the weekend, and she’d always assigned him a role. Then he’d work round that, fitting in his own personal plans discretely, plans which often enough included Aaron in one way or another. Or others before that.

But after Aaron there were really no others. OK So maybe there’d been a couple of hook ups after they’d first met. Force of habit. Opportunity. But Aaron had changed everything.

Aaron was his everything.

He thought about Aaron out clubbing. Did Aaron dance? He realized that he didn’t even know.

His phone pinged as he received a text message. It was from Aaron, so maybe he could ask him.

**_Where are you? I’m in bed and feeling lonely._**

Robert grinned and felt his pulse increase, then climbed out of bed and quickly pulled on his jeans.

 

As he came in through the back door, he could hear Chas’s voice in the kitchen.

‘So Pierce is doing the lunchtime shift and, Charity, are you listening to me? Somebody needs to stock up on the soft drinks.’

‘Well, can’t Aaron?’

‘Aaron isn’t up yet. God only knows what time it was when he got in. I’ll kill that Robert Sugden keeping him out all hours, and Liv, the dish washer needs emptying, Liv, where are you going?’

Liv came through and bumped into Robert, stretching her eyes she put her fingers to her lips. Robert winked at her conspiratorially as she snuck out the back door, and he slipped up the stairs and into Aaron’s bedroom.

 

The room was dark and it took a moment for Robert’s eyes to adjust. He saw Aaron smile at him, holding the bed cover under his chin and he sat on the side of the bed next to him.

‘So. Lonely are we?’ He smirked.

‘Very lonely!’ Aaron replied.

Aaron reached up and, putting his hands around Robert’s face, he pulled him down for a kiss. Robert could feel the urgency as Aaron’s tongue pushed into his mouth. He kissed Aaron back.

‘You want to see how lonely I am?’ Aaron asked, after they broke apart.

He flicked back the cover sideways from over him to show Robert his body, naked in the bed. Robert was close enough to feel the heat emanating from his skin. His cock was shiny and erect between his thighs.

Robert loved it when Aaron was so horny.

‘I do see.’ He answered. ‘So I guess you need some company, yeah?’

He pulled his T- shirt over his head and rid himself of his shoes and socks, and then with his jeans still on, slid next to Aaron, pulling the cover back over them both again.

Aaron kissed him again, licking at his lips and tugging gently his top lip with his teeth while he slid his thumbs down over Robert’s front until he found his nipples, stroking them with a smile.

Then he rubbed against the material at the front of Robert’s jeans.

‘Get ‘em off, Sugden!’

‘Just be patient!’

Robert moved down in the bed, over the heat of Aaron’s skin and then teased the tip of his hard cock with his tongue, he licked down his shaft and back before taking him into his mouth.

Aaron placed his fingers in Robert’s hair and bucked his hips.

‘Fuck! Robert!’

He thrust eagerly, pushing to the back of Robert’s throat, then groaned as Robert moved his mouth back and forth over him. After a while he pulled Robert’s hair, pulling him back up to kiss his mouth again, humming now against Robert’s swollen lips and sliding his hand inside his jeans over his smooth arse cheeks.

‘Come on, Robert! Give it up to me now.’

Robert grinned and unfastened his jeans at last, to be rewarded by a moan of appreciation as Aaron slid his hand down his long arching shaft, over his balls and up to his arse hole.

Aaron moved up onto his knees.

‘Turn for me, then.’

 Robert quickly turned onto all fours, waiting while behind him, Aaron reached for the lube and started to stroke it over his hole. Aaron slipped on a condom.

Aaron leaned over his back and held his face turning it towards him so he could kiss him open mouthed one more time, and then, with a moan, he was positioned and pushing his cock head into Robert’s entrance.

Suddenly, there was a racket on the bedroom landing, and Chas’s voice just outside the door.

‘Aaron, Are you getting up, then?’

For a moment they waited, Robert’s heart rocketing, praying she wasn’t going to open the door, cursing himself for not locking it.

Then they heard her footsteps receding down the stairs.

‘You could say.’ Robert laughed.

‘Don’t laugh!’ Aaron slapped his arse cheek hard.

He leaned forward and kissed Robert again, then took a breath and slowly pushed in again.

‘Fuck yeah, Robert!’ He moaned as he slid further inside, feeling Robert’s tightness around him as he moved.

He let his eyes take in the pale length of his boyfriend’s back and his hips and arse, and looked down, watching his cock moving in his entrance.

‘Robert!’ He groaned again. 

Robert bent his head down and screwed up his eyes. Aaron was his first like this inside him. That first time he’d been stunned by the intensity of the feeling as Aaron’s cock touched him inside, taking him higher than he’d thought it would. Now he couldn’t get enough. Did this make him gay then? He pushed the thought away to just focus on the moment, on Aaron.

Aaron’s cock was pulsing inside him. He was close.

He moved faster, thrusting deep and hard. And all at once Robert felt himself going over the edge.

He opened his mouth as he came, moaning from his throat, feeling his arse squeeze over Aaron, then hearing Aaron call out as he came too. He stroked himself through, spraying cum on the dark bed sheets.

After, Aaron pulled back his face by his hair and kissed him again. Robert grabbed a towel and wiped the sheet quickly, and they lay side by side, getting their breath back.

‘Better?’ Robert asked with a grin.

Aaron nodded.

Robert found his jeans and started to pull them back on.

‘Aren’t you going to take a shower?’ Aaron asked, watching him dress.

‘I’ll take it back at Vic’s, they’ll be out by now.’

Aaron nodded.

‘Aren’t you going to ask me?’

‘Ask you what?’

‘About last night? Bar West?’

Robert pulled on his T-shirt and looked for his wool jacket.

‘Not really.’

Aaron shook his head. ‘OK.’

Robert paused.

'Did you dance?'

Aaron looked back at him strangely for a moment.

‘Uh, No.' He shrugged, then went on. 'Are we going to meet for lunch?’

Robert looked at his watch.

‘Well I’m seeing someone about this car I liked the look of. Come with me, eh?’

Aaron smiled.

‘Alright. Give me an hour to help me Mum then I’m all yours.’

‘You are always all mine! Just don’t forget it!.’

Robert leaned over and kissed him slowly, then, winking, left the room and slipped quietly down the stairs and out the back door.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Sunday morning Robert and Aaron wake up early at the Woolpack. Later that week Robert interviews a new haulage driver for Home James and Aaron gets a little jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW brief reference to self harm at the start of the chapter

Sunday they’d been going to take Liv to the open air pool at Ilkley.

Aaron lay in bed, looking at the ceiling, worrying about his scars.

He’d wear a T-shirt in the water. He’d thought it would have come up in Wales, but the weather had never been quite warm enough to swim. It wasn’t that she didn’t know, but he knew it would be different when she saw them, and he didn’t want to be altered in her eyes, to be a victim anymore. He was done with that.

Actually, only Robert had seen them, the full extent, except for the staff in the hospital that time with septicemia, and now Robert didn’t see them any more.

Robert was too randy to see them, too busy licking at his nipples, lapping down his love trail. Aaron snorted, forcing down a smile. He felt his cock stir at the thought of Robert’s constant horniness, and placed his hand over his balls then gave his twitching shaft a rub.

On cue Robert turned and squinted at him, before murmuring a sleepy ‘Good morning,’ then closing his eyes again with a smile.

Eyes still shut, he moved his hand across under the covers and nudged Aaron’s fingers away from his cock.

‘Hands off! ...’s mine!’ He slurred, holding onto him loosely, immediately subsiding back into sleep, so that Aaron, shifting his hips, felt Robert’s fingers slide to the top of his thigh.

Robert had taken off his T-shirt in Wales. It had been a particularly hot day, standing outside a pub in a sun trap, and he’d just put his pint down and, reaching behind his shoulders, pulled his top over his head. Aaron had felt nervous all at once, looking at Liv, waiting for a comment about his scar, well scars, the one from the bullet entry point and the one from the surgery to remove it, but he’d been right proud of her in the event. Nothing, not a peep out of her. She’d just continued eating her prawn cocktail crisps, while Robert suggested the kayaking. It was Aaron who was left blushing at his good looking boyfriend, showing off his glorious freckled torso.

Aaron frowned. Robert hadn’t batted an eyelid, booking them into rooms with a double bed for the two of them. Reacting calmly that time that the B&B proprietor had got flustered and insisted on misunderstanding them.

‘You mean a double room with twin beds?’

‘No a double bed.’ Robert had repeated quietly, just placing a hand lightly on Aaron’s shoulder.

For a fleeting moment Aaron had thought that the bloke was going to turn them away, then Liv had spoken up.

‘Well, could I just take the key for my room while you sort this out? I’m really busting to go.’

And the guy had capitulated. Granted, he had stared at them rather creepily over breakfast the next morning, but well, you have to expect that kind of thing now and again.

Aaron bit his lip. What really got to him was how Robert was cool with all that, and then wouldn’t go with him to Bar West. What was it? Was it the club scene? Why did he make it into such a big deal?

Robert stirred again and Aaron felt his lips and then his teeth brush against his shoulder. There was a towel between them that they’d put down last night over the bottom sheet to keep it clean after Chas had started to complain about the laundry, but it had only got in the way and now it was ruckled up between them. Robert tugged it away and, edging closer, pressed himself up against Aaron’s thigh.

 ‘Turn on your side.’ His voice was still full of gravel from sleep.

Aaron turned so Robert was behind him, his lips now hot on Aaron’s neck. His hand reached again for Aaron’s cock and stroked him firmly this time, bringing Aaron instantly to full hardness.

Aaron could feel Robert’s length pressing against his entrance.

‘You’re awake now then?’ Aaron asked.

‘I’m awake,’ Robert replied in his ear, ‘Fully awake!’

He slipped an arm under Aaron’s shoulder, pulling him backwards so that Aaron was angled sideways leaning against Robert’s body behind him.

‘Should we turn the TV on?’

They’d decided at some point that the background noise of the TV helped muffle the sound of their love making.

‘It’s early. They’ll complain whatever. Just try and keep the noise down, if you can.’

‘It’s not going to be me making the noise this time,’ Robert teased.

He leaned back and reached for something and Aaron realized he was slipping a cock ring over his length. He turned his face back, looking for Robert’s mouth and they kissed, playing with each other’s tongues.

Robert manoeuvred Aaron’s legs to open him up and massaged lube onto his rim, slipping fingers just inside the ring of muscle and out again. He played with the ring around his cock so the vibrator attached was pressed against the skin behind Aaron’s balls when he pushed inside.

‘Alright?’ He checked.

Aaron nodded.

‘Fuck!’

Robert’s cock was angled perfectly and he thrust forwards and back with a fluid movement, while the vibrator stimulated his perineum, until Aaron, reaching back with his hand to hold onto Robert’s thigh, was gargling incoherently.

Robert could feel Aaron’s tight muscles start to clench around his cock. He tugged against the silicon ring and slowed right down, waiting.

He bit against Aaron’s shoulder and started to suck at the back of his neck.

‘Don’t,’ Aaron panted. ‘We’re going swimming remember? Don’t want a mark!’

Robert used his hand to pull his face backwards and instead hummed into his mouth searching for fresh kisses, then moved his hand back down to Aaron’s cock, squeezing his foreskin up over his glistening cock head and down again with rhythmic strokes.

‘Fuck, fuck! Move! Robert, Move!’ Aaron moaned. ‘I’m gonna come!’

Robert held Aaron by the chest tight against him and hammered his hips against his arse, moving inside with deep staccato strokes, still beating his cock, then laughed and whispered, ‘Shhh, shhhhh! I told you!’ as Aaron's groans sounded too loud in the quiet early morning.

 ‘OK. Don’t stop for fuck’s sake! I’m com....ungh...’

Robert felt Aaron’s muscles spasm around him as he came, mouth open, spilling thick white cum over Robert’s fist and onto the bed.

After Robert had stroked him through, he quickly pulled out, and sliding the ring up and off from around the base of his cock, he  pushed back into Aaron’s hot space. Robert moaned as Aaron still continued to clench around him. He thrust with fast deep strokes, until he suddenly went rigid and pulled out again and then was spraying cum himself, painting Aaron’s back and arse and thighs, repeating Aaron’s name.

After, they turned to face each other laughing and Robert held Aaron’s face while he kissed him with soft lips.

‘I love you, Aaron,’ He whispered, shifting with a grimace to avoid the sticky patches on the sheets.

‘You’re a bad lad, Sugden, not using a condom,’ Aaron observed.

‘Do you mind?’

Aaron darted his mouth forwards for another quick kiss.

‘You know I don’t-’ He winked, ‘- as long as you’re not on the pull behind my back, of course.’

‘You’re the one that went out clubbing alone!’

‘Uh, yeah! ‘Cos you wouldn’t come with me, mate!’

Robert turned onto his back.

‘Perhaps we should put the TV on now,’ he suggested, changing the subject.

‘Good idea. But can you pass me that towel first?’

 

They decided it would be more diplomatic to shower separately, after last time when Charity walked in on them, so Robert took his first then dressed and went down.

By the time Aaron came downstairs, Robert had his car keys and was on his way out.

‘So are we taking Liv swimming? Where are you going?’ he asked, surprised.

Robert put a hand on Aaron's waist.

‘I’m just nipping to the market to get something for Liv,’ Robert replied, ‘But it looks like it’s raining and, I don’t think she wants to go anymore, actually.’

In the kitchen, Liv was in her dressing gown, sitting on the sofa, eating toast.

‘Thought we were going swimming?’ Aaron said, putting a couple of slices of bread in the toaster himself.

‘Raining innit?’

‘It’s nice swimming in the rain.’

‘Says no one!’ Liv answered, ‘Careful! You’re  beginning to sound like your boyfriend. It isn’t catching, is it?’

Robert walked back in with a small bag from the shop which he passed to Liv who gave him a smile of thanks and ran upstairs.

‘What was that?’ Aaron asked

‘Tampons.’

‘What?’

‘Time of the month, Aaron, she’s just started her period.’

‘And she asked you to...?’

‘Well, yeah.’

 ‘So we’re not going swimming then?’ He blushed.

‘Well. Actually, she could. But she said she’d prefer not to.’

Aaron turned down his mouth, looking confused.

 ‘And she was OK, talking to you about that?’

‘Well I have been married, and lived with women before. She knows that.’

Something about the way Robert said he’d been married jarred. Like there was no such thing as same sex marriage. He was about to point it out, and then hesitated. What if Robert thought he was dropping some hints about wanting to marry? Aaron blushed again and looked down.

Instead he remembered what Robert had said in the pub about Chrissie.

‘Of course. Your _real relationships_.’

He saw the confusion on Robert’s face.

‘What, what are you saying?’

‘I dunno mate, you said it, not me.’ Aaron turned away, he could feel his heart thumping. He felt like he was being unreasonable, but he just had this anger, and he didn’t know where it was coming from.

‘Just get some toast, will you?’

 

On Tuesday, the agency sent somebody round for an interview for the haulage driver’s job with Home James.

With Nicola still not fit, Jimmy wasn’t keen on taking on more long distance trips, and Robert knew he could expand the business easily. He was already pricing up some new curtainsiders to go trans Europe.

Aaron and Adam were out collecting, so Robert was alone. When he heard the car driving into the scrapyard, he stepped out of the Portacabin and, placing his hands in his suit pockets, walked down the steps to meet the candidate.

A blonde lad in his mid twenties got out of the car and walked towards Robert.

He extended a hand.

‘Mr Sugden? I’m Illya. The agency sent me.’

Robert shook his hand. They held each other’s eyes.

Then Illya looked round the yard.

‘Hey, I hope no one makes a mistake and scraps my car!’ He joked.

Robert looked at his car. It was an old Saab that had seen better days, or that, in Robert’s opinion at least, had never seen good days.

‘Well, it would be no great loss.’ He answered. ‘But don’t worry, there’s no one here right now, so you’re probably safe. Why don’t you come inside?’

Robert turned and went back up the steps. The lad followed.

When Aaron and Adam got back and bounded up the stairs into the Portacabin, Robert was just bringing the interview to a close. As soon as he entered, Aaron took in the young blonde who clearly, from the shape of him, worked out, sitting across from Robert. He looked sharply at Robert’s face, noticing the focus in his eyes. Robert had his jacket off and was leaning back in his chair, rolling a pen between his fingers.

‘This is Illya,’ Robert said, ‘He’s going to take the driver’s job for Home James.’

Illya turned and Aaron noted his green eyes.

‘Aaron and Adam own the scrapping business.’ Robert explained.

‘Lonely job, long distance driving. I couldn’t do it.’ Adam reflected.

‘Actually, I like the freedom.’ Illya commented. Aaron saw him glance sideways at Robert as he spoke.

Aaron sat down, pulling off his hoodie. Even with the door open, it was hot and airless in the portacabin.

‘And do Jimmy and Nicola have a say in this?’ he muttered.

Robert frowned and looked down at the desk for a moment.

‘You’re right!’ He stood up. ‘You’ve got time have you, Illya? Let’s go down to Emmerdale to meet my business partners.’

In the yard, Robert told the lad to get in his car.

‘We can go down together and you can pick up your own car later.’

From the steps, Aaron watched Illya fasten his seat belt next to Robert and went inside again, hearing the engine start up and the car drive away out of the gates.

 

Robert caught up with Aaron, in the pub in the evening.

 ‘So did Jimmy and Nicola like your driver then?’ he asked, ‘Bit young, isn’t he?’

‘Twenty five,’ Robert answered, ‘Older than you, just. He’s from the Ukraine. He’s got all his paper work in order. The agency sent it all through.’

Aaron shrugged.

‘Good, then.’

Robert narrowed his eyes.

‘You’re not jealous, are you?’

Aaron pulled in his chin. ‘Course not!’

‘Good! Cos you know how I feel. You know what you mean to me!’

Aaron’s eyes flashed darkly, ‘Show me then?’

They made love standing, Aaron turning Robert against the wall in his bedroom, holding his hands behind his back. He went down on his knees and parted his cheeks, sucking against his rim hungrily, then, after pulling on a condom, he entered him and went into him hard.

No one had turned Aaron on like Robert did before. Robert pressed the side of his face against the wall as Aaron slammed into him. Aaron put a hand over his mouth to gag him and interrupt the stream of obscenities. When he came, he thought his heart had stopped and his thigh muscles shook with adrenaline. Robert turned, still holding his massive cock and stroking himself through his climax, and Aaron bobbed down again and, pushing his mouth over him, lapped up the last waves of cum, while Robert reached down and caressed his hair with his other hand.

That was the moment that Chas opened the door and scanning the room, saw them and slammed it closed screaming.

‘Oh My God! Sorry! Sorry!’

Later, after rowing angrily with his Mum about knocking on his door, Aaron spoke to Robert.

‘I was thinking, maybe we could get a place together, me and you, if, if you wanted to. After Charity walking in on the shower, and now this.’

‘What about Liv?’

‘Yeah, and Liv, too, course.’

Robert looked down.

‘I’ll think about it, yeah?’

Aaron shrugged. ‘Yeah, yeah, course!’ He went to the bar to get a drink, feeling his heart race, feeling like an idiot. Why had he asked? Why would Robert want to live with him, anyway? What was he even thinking? His mind whirred. This was the gay thing wasn’t it. Alright, so Robert and he were boyfriends, alright he was happy to sleep almost every night at the Woolpack, but when it came to actually living with another man, or even saying he was gay, that was clearly not on the cards for Robert.

Aaron went back and placed the full beers on the table.

‘So, the same guys are going to Bar West again, Friday. I’m thinking about going again.’ He took a sip of his drink and looked into the distance.

’Come with me?’

 


End file.
